Pennsylvania and Potomac Avenues SE Intersection Improvement Project

Project Overview

The Pennsylvania and Potomac Avenues SE Intersection Improvement Project proposes to enhance safety at these street intersections for neighborhood pedestrians and transit users of the Potomac Avenue Metrorail Station and the numerous area bus stops.

Despite the numerous crosswalk locations, pedestrians traverse the intersection through the grassed median of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The proposed project would reduce the number of pedestrian crossings to allow for more direct routes for pedestrians and transit users.

The project was originally proposed in the 2005 Middle Anacostia River Crossings Transportation Study (MAC) as a mid-term improvement for enhancing the transportation network in the Middle Anacostia River region.

Project Needs

Meet District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Transportation Planning Elements and Policies investing in pedestrian connections as a means to enhance multi-modal use.

Align with Regional and District transportation planning policies to reduce reliance on the automobile through investment at transit centers.

What is the Status of the Project?

A number of community meetings have been conducted about the project. During a scoping meeting held January 31, 2013, the public discussed pedestrian safety, traffic patterns, bicyclists, the Potomac Avenue Metrorail Station, and green space.

At a follow-up meeting on May 16, 2013, community members gave comments on four concepts—No Build, Mid-Block Crosswalk, T-Intersections, and Signalized Oval. The public’s feedback, along with the feedback from the National Park Service, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, National Capital Planning Commission, and the State Historic Preservation Office, have helped to improve the designs for the project.

The current project alternatives — Triangle Parks, Rectangle Park, and Ellipse Park — were presented to the public for review from November 6, 2014 to January 16, 2015. Public comments on these alternatives will assist in the preparation of the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA).

The Draft EA will be circulated to the public for review in Summer 2015. The study is anticipated to be concluded with the completion of the Final EA in Winter 2015-2016.

More Information

The pedestrian improvement project for the Pennsylvania and Potomac Avenues SE intersection is one in a series of transportation, environmental, economic, community and recreation projects included in the larger Anacostia Waterfront Initiative Program. From the Tidal Basin to the city’s northeast border with Maryland, the 30-year, $10 billion AWI Program is transforming the shores of the Anacostia River into a world-class waterfront.

For more information about the design concept alternatives being evaluated for the Final Environmental Assessment, to follow the project’s progress or join the email distribution list for the project, please visit the project page or send an email to pennpotomac@prrbiz.com. To join the project or AWI community contact list or ask questions, please email ddot.awi@dc.gov or call 202-741-8528.

DBE Opportunities

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AnacostiaWaterfront.org

The Anacostia Waterfront Initiative is transforming the shores of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. into a world-class waterfront. Led by the District of Columbia government and embraced by 19 regional and federal agency partners, the AWI area straddles the Anacostia River and weaves through District Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8, stretching from the Tidal Basin to the District’s northeast border with Maryland.
A host of District Department of Transportation (DDOT) infrastructure projects chronicled on this website will serve as the spine upon which this renaissance takes hold and thrives.